I have begun compiling a page of English resources for your use. Below are some resources for your classroom that hopefully you will find useful. Check back often as I will add more sites and ideas as I find them. If you find a site that you would like to see added to this page just e-mail it to me and I will post it on this site. Looking for ideas or sites to use with an upcoming lesson or unit, e-mail me with what you are looking for and I'll do my best to find something for you and your classes. And of course, any ideas or suggestions that you have for ways to make this site better are always welcome. Enjoy!
Victorian
Victorian England-I use this project with Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities or other Victorian poetry...take a walking tour, look into the life of a family, investigate all aspects of Victorian life. I have students research this site and then create an original "journal" style writing based on the perspective of one of the family members (i.e. a daughter preparing for a marriage, a mother organizing the holiday feast, a family preparing to bury a loved one, and so on.) This writing could be posted to a wiki. I had my students word process this document before I had access to technology. A video journal could also be created depending on how much time you have. Here is the document I used a few years ago (needs updated-modify it as you wish)-- Victorian Web site writing.doc
Edgar Allan Poe
This interactive site has a lot of information about the author, plus games and interactive maps relating to his life and works. NOTE: This site is for older students and includes external links to sites that have discussion boards. http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/default_flash.asp
Explore the links to learn more about Poe and to read letters written to him and by him. Click on "Works" to read his poems and tales. Other links lead to descriptions of his house and grave http://www.eapoe.org/
In this Webquest, students investigate Poe’s life and its impact on his works. Very interactive and fun project for students to work on while reading some of his work. http://www.geocities.com/educationplace/poe/wqpoe.htm
This museum site includes a biography of his life and samples of some of his works. There is also an online quiz. http://www.poemuseum.org/
English Literature
Shakespeare Webquest - MacBeth is a Bad, Bad Man - Directs students to realize imagery that Shakespeare uses to portray Macbeth as an evil character. Mr. Lettiere's Romeo and Juliet - Good teacher-created resources: reading guides for each act with vocab, etc., online quzzes, handouts, project ideas, etc.
Jane Austen
PBS is offering a Jane Austen film festival, all six novels on film,
broadcast from January to early April. This includes the classic BBC
miniseries of Pride and Prejudice (Feb. 10-24). There is also some very nice
classroom support and a Media Infusion blog entry suggesting ways technology
can support study of Austen: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/
Writing and Research Reading and Writing in the Digital Age - This is Upper Darby High School's new course that is being developed to update the curriculum now that CFF is in its second year here at UD. We welcome any feedback and suggestions. If you have any specific lesson ideas that go with any of the topics, we would love to see them posted to this wiki for all to see. Thanks!
World Literature
Beowulf - Links to activities related to the classic Beowulf.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=410
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/beowulf.html
A Sound of Thunder - Interested in showing your class the video for this Ray Bradbury short story?
The Ray Bradbury Theatre TV production from the '80s sticks very close to the original story.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLT57mVnGE&feature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqd4Ol8FlGc&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xuq3kOwGGw
Anglo-Saxon
Victorian
Victorian England-I use this project with Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities or other Victorian poetry...take a walking tour, look into the life of a family, investigate all aspects of Victorian life. I have students research this site and then create an original "journal" style writing based on the perspective of one of the family members (i.e. a daughter preparing for a marriage, a mother organizing the holiday feast, a family preparing to bury a loved one, and so on.) This writing could be posted to a wiki. I had my students word process this document before I had access to technology. A video journal could also be created depending on how much time you have. Here is the document I used a few years ago (needs updated-modify it as you wish)--
Charlotte Bronte/Jane Eyre - background information-use the Internet & PowerPoint to fill in the missing info for this handout for this novel.
American Literature
Lord of the Flies - http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/literature/
Scarlet Letter- Links that can connect you to interactive vocabulary, text online, discussion questions, diagrams, and lots more.
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/hawthorne.html
Edgar Allan Poe
This interactive site has a lot of information about the author, plus games and interactive maps relating to his life and works. NOTE: This site is for older students and includes external links to sites that have discussion boards.
http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/default_flash.asp
Explore the links to learn more about Poe and to read letters written to him and by him. Click on "Works" to read his poems and tales. Other links lead to descriptions of his house and grave
http://www.eapoe.org/
In this Webquest, students investigate Poe’s life and its impact on his works. Very interactive and fun project for students to work on while reading some of his work.
http://www.geocities.com/educationplace/poe/wqpoe.htm
Click on the links to read the full text for five of Poe's stories
http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/
This museum site includes a biography of his life and samples of some of his works. There is also an online quiz.
http://www.poemuseum.org/
English Literature
Shakespeare
Webquest - MacBeth is a Bad, Bad Man - Directs students to realize imagery that Shakespeare uses to portray Macbeth as an evil character.
Mr. Lettiere's Romeo and Juliet - Good teacher-created resources: reading guides for each act with vocab, etc., online quzzes, handouts, project ideas, etc.
Jane Austen
PBS is offering a Jane Austen film festival, all six novels on film,
broadcast from January to early April. This includes the classic BBC
miniseries of Pride and Prejudice (Feb. 10-24). There is also some very nice
classroom support and a Media Infusion blog entry suggesting ways technology
can support study of Austen: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/
Film and book club: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/bookclub.html
Media Infusion Blog: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/2008/01/bringing_jane_austen_to_life_w.html
Writing and Research
Reading and Writing in the Digital Age - This is Upper Darby High School's new course that is being developed to update the curriculum now that CFF is in its second year here at UD. We welcome any feedback and suggestions. If you have any specific lesson ideas that go with any of the topics, we would love to see them posted to this wiki for all to see. Thanks!
Lightning Bug - Writing Partner, helping you write a story from beginnnig to THE END. http://www.lightningbug.com.au/index.htm
ToonDoo - This site allows students to create comic strips using characters on the site or they can create their own.
Mr. Swindell’s Creative Writing Wiki – See how one teacher is using wiki’s for creative writing assignments
Wikis, Blogs, and Podcasts
@theBell Blog – A blog by CFF Coach/former English teacher at East Pennsboro HS
a132 – An English wiki from North Penn HS
Digital Storytelling